Herrschners to Distribute Big Twist Yarn

One of the biggest worries I’ve seen from people with the in-progress closing of Joann craft stores is the loss of Big Twist yarn. Big Twist is a private label yarn that was sold exclusively at Joann (though you can find some colors on Amazon at huge markups). Many crafters like it as their go-to low-cost acrylic yarn because it’s softer than Red Heart Super Saver but similarly came in a wide range of colors, as well as some prints and themed colorways.

There had been a rumor that the yarn was made by Spinrite/Yarnspirations and that they would start making it under one of their own labels such as Caron or Red Heart, but Marly Bird debunked that rumor.

Herrschners has announced that they “will soon be carrying” Big Twist yarn, “bringing you an even wider selection of colors and textures for all your knitting and crochet projects,” according to a statement on their website. No timeline is mentioned but they do suggest signing up for email alerts so you’ll know when the yarn is available.

In case you don’t know this company already, Herrschners is a needlework company that got its start in the late 1800s in Chicago. It has been a catalog company for more than 125 years (and I’ll still get their catalogs in the mail from time to time) and of course now they also sell online. The company is currently based in Stevens Point, WI.

They sell yarn and notions for knitting and crochet as well as needlepoint, latch hook, plastic canvas and other crafts. Since we’re talking about yarn, they carry well-known brands like Red Heart, Caron, Premier and Lion Brand, but also have their own private label brand of yarn. Their Supreme Worsted is probably the closest to a Big Twist option that they currently have.

I know a lot of knitters and crocheters will be relieved to have Big Twist as an option in the future. It’s not quite as convenient as running to your local store to grab a ball when you need it, but at least it will still be available!

[Photo via Joann]

Over the years I have shared a lot of pumpkin knitting patterns, and I’ve knit and crocheted a lot of pumpkins myself. But it feels like there are always more fun things to try with knit pumpkins, so this year I wanted to look a little more beyond basic stockinette or ribbed pumpkins and share some pumpkin patterns with cables, bobbles and colorwork.

In the cable collection we’ve got these cute little basic cable and ribbed pumpkins from Elly Bear Knits. There are two sizes that make a wide, flat pumpkin and a taller round pumpkin. Both are worked in the round as a tube that’s cinched top and bottom when you’re done, and they use bulky weight yarn.

Another cute cable pumpkin knitting pattern comes from Gray Bear Akswokrat. This one is knit flat and it looks like a chunky yarn but you could use other weights to make pumpkins of different sizes. This one also has an I-cord stem and uses yarn to cinch up the sections of the pumpkin, giving it a more natural look.

Add some bobbles to your pumpkins with this design from Autumn Shelter Makes. Also worked in the round in a tube, it features a repeating pattern of bobbles and uses yarn wrapped around the outside to make segments. This one looks like worsted weight yarn to me.

Of course there’s nothing that says your pumpkin has to be a single color, so let’s throw in some colorwork. I love the look of the Cozy Fall Pumpkin knitting pattern from South Stitch Girls. The little leather loop adds a rustic touch but you could also just add a stick. These pumpkins have five colorwork options and are worked in worsted weight yarn in the round.

There’s also the Autumn Fair Isle Trio pumpkins pattern from Equestriann Style, which has three different sizes of pumpkins with four colorwork designs. They are worked in super bulky yarn in the round and look good with high contrast or more muted color combinations.

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